Fire captain on leave after OWI charges

3 firefighters in one month suspected of driving under the influence.

3 firefighters in one month suspected of driving under the influence.

March 23, 2006|ALICIA GALLEGOS Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- A South Bend fire captain was placed on administrative leave Wednesday after being charged earlier this week with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The firefighter is one of two South Bend fire captains arrested last week on suspicion of driving under the influence and the third fire captain in a month detained for an alcohol-related offense. "It's a sad time for the department," Fire Chief Luther Taylor said Wednesday. "It's always disappointing, (but) we'll work through it." Capt. James A. Burkus, 53, was arrested March 15 in Marshall County after first being stopped for speeding. A chemical test determined he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.08, according to police. Capt. John P. Szucs, also 53, was detained early Sunday in St. Joseph County after crossing the center line on U.S. 31. The firefighter's blood-alcohol level was determined to be 0.24. Capt. Jim Gadacz, 50, was involved in a one-car accident Feb. 22 in Elkhart County in which his blood-alcohol level was found to be .15, according to reports. It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle in Indiana with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or greater. The Board of Public Safety approved Taylor's recommendation that Burkus be placed on administrative leave without pay until disposition of criminal charges. After that, an internal punishment may be recommended by the chief and decided by the board. Charges for Szucs have not yet been filed but are expected shortly, according to the St. Joseph County prosecutor's office. The Fire Department learned Wednesday afternoon that Gadacz had been charged in Elkhart County and Taylor plans to file an administrative leave recommendation at the next Board of Public Safety meeting, he said. Recommendation for an officer's administrative leave is filed only after receiving notification of criminal charges, he explained. Burkus was pulled over on Michigan Road just after midnight March 15 for traveling 91 mph in a 55-mph zone, according to a Marshall County police report. Burkus was charged Monday with an OWI, an A misdemeanor, and operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 or more, a C misdemeanor. Szucs was detained near the intersection of U.S. 31 and the St. Joseph Valley Parkway after he reportedly crossed the center line going south on U.S. 31, almost colliding with a St. Joseph County officer. A court hearing for Szucs will be April 10. Taylor stressed that there are 248 South Bend firefighters, but even one driving while intoxicated is too many. "First and foremost, I want to apologize to the citizens of our community," Taylor said later in a release. "Unfortunately, (driving while intoxicated) has become too common a problem, not just at the Fire Department, but throughout the country, in many fields of work." The department plans to be proactive after the recent events while maintaining business as usual, Taylor said. Staff writer Alicia Gallegos: agallegos@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6368